Being Human
by GandalfOfTheTriforce
Summary: AU. Cameron Phillips is in her final year at CalTech, and she's hoping to catch the eye of Cybernetic Systems CEO, Sarah Connor, and the summer internship that could guaranteed her a place on Sarah's Cyber Team. As she learns of Cybernetic Systems latest project, her heart will be forced to make a choice. Will she stop it, or deny a man's claim of the future? Sarah/Cameron pairing.


**Summary: **AU. Cameron Phillips is in her final year at CalTech, and she's hoping to catch the eye of Cybernetic Systems CEO, Sarah Connor, and the summer internship that could guaranteed her a place on Sarah's Cyber Team. As she starts to learn about Cybernetic Systems latest project, her heart is forced to make a choice. Will she stop it, or deny a crazy man's claims? Sarah/Cameron femslash.

**Author's Notes: **I don't own Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles. I'm only taking its characters and sending them into an alternate universe, and I hope you, the readers, leave me some reviews; tell me if I should continue or delete it. I can take some healthy criticism.

* * *

**Being Human**

**Chapter One: The Beginning**

"And I feel as though my heart won't allow me to love another, even though I know you're gone; replaced by this machine. It's all my fault, my love. I've turned you into the very thing you wanted me to destroy. Please, forgive me."

* * *

"I feel like a bus ran me over."

John was pouring milk into his bowl when Cameron stepped into the kitchen, one hand rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she beelined for the fridge. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, looking as though a bird made a nest of it, and her black sweatpants and purple tank top gave her the appearance of a yoga fanatic, though John suspected after how much alcohol she consumed last night she wasn't going to be doing any tree poses until she's swallowed a whole bottle of advil. He couldn't understand how she manages to have this zen like quality to her when she's the complete opposite of calm and centered.

"I'd be surprised if you didn't feel that way." Riley remarked from her spot at the table next to John, who was still pouring way too much milk into his cereal. His eyes were focused on the binder resting on the table a centimeter away from his overflowing bowl.

Opening the fridge door, Cameron shot a glare to her friend over her shoulder. "Why didn't you stop me? I have a fucking interview today; I can't be suffering from a hangover." She practically growled, her eyes squinting to make out the objects in their fridge. Something that once could've been cheese was stationed next to her desired product. Sweet, sweet orange juice.

She pulled the juice out of the fridge and moved over to open the cabinet housing their cups. Choosing a small glass one, she kept her head down as she poured herself some juice, trying to ignore the pounding in her head, though every little movement made it ache unbearably. She quietly placed the juice back inside the fridge and leant against the counter, her eyes set on the glass in her hand.

Her memory was fuzzy from the alcohol, but she remembered them going to the club to celebrate her twenty second birthday. She had told herself she was only going to have a couple of drinks, though she remembered Riley had other plans and ended up downing more than a few. A part of her was glad John has a high tolerance for alcohol and kept her from going home with a complete stranger. Talk about the worst morning wake up call ever.

John nodded, finally tearing his eyes away from his science notes after Riley punched his shoulder before his milk ruined his work. "We tried to stop you." He protested, rubbing his arm. "You just wouldn't listen."

"Yeah, you get vicious when drunk." Riley added, watching John sit in his spot next to her, a spoon full of Captain Crunch disappearing into his mouth. She scrunched her nose at how he just inhales food without choking on it. He didn't seem to notice her distaste and continued shoveling cereal in his mouth. "Why did we pick him to be our roommate?" She used her thumb to indicate why she asked.

John looked up from his cereal, holding his full spoon midair, bits of Captain Crunch dropping back into the bowl with a small plop, sending milk to land on the table's surface around him. "What's that supposed to mean?" His eyes narrowed dangerously, his hand poised to send his cereal straight at his friend.

"Nothing! I was just asking a question." Hands held out in front of her in a silent apology, Riley scooted her seat several inches away from John, knowing full well he isn't afraid to ruin Cameron's clean kitchen when he's angered, but Riley feared Cameron's wrath and didn't want to be on the receiving end after a night of drinking.

Cameron swirled the orange juice in her glass, waiting for the tension between Riley and John to evaporate. "Because Morris would try and watch us shower. So, who's carpooling with me, and who's taking the bus?" She asked, taking a sip of her juice before spilling the rest into the sink, her stomach still churning from the alcohol.

For the past two years now Cameron has been playing bus driver to her two roommates, for Riley had been in an accident that left her car looking like a cube and made her vow to never get behind the wheel ever again, and John's car is with his mother since his dad is using theirs while he's out of town. But John has a rich aunt, who she's never met for one reason or another, that buys him whatever he wants, so why dont he just ask for a car? It would save Cameron gas money.

John set his spoon in the bowl as he raised one eyebrow. "You can't take us both?"

Cameron shook her head. "Not unless we can all be dressed in five minutes and out the door..." The end of her words were death on her friend's ears as they raced to their bedrooms to get dressed. Cameron sighed, making her way to her bedroom to do something with her hair.

* * *

"Hey, Cameron, are you alright?" John asked, resting his hand on her shoulder to make her stop and look at him. As they were walking out the door and heading to where Cameron parks her truck, John could see the tension building by the tense set her shoulders were falling under while she walked. She was nervous about her interview with Sarah. John heard rumours that the woman was harsh and merciless to new interns. He could understand Cameron's fear, but he didn't know how to reassure her in her time of need.

Cameron turned her head to look at her best friend, a ghost of a smile on her face. She took in his now short, dark hair and the dark cheekbones with shadows cast beneath them due to the sunlight above them; she could make out the lines on his face that look like dimples when he smiles. His eyebrows were furrowed, concern in his green eyes that gave him a soft, innocent look to his sharp, handsome features. She once thought she was in love with him, but it wasn't long till she realized it was another pair of green eyes that had her swooning. She couldn't believe she was in love with a woman she has never met face to face.

"How would you feel if you were going to meet the woman you've admired since a kid?" She asked honestly. Her dark eyes looked over to Riley standing by her truck, waiting for the two of them, her foot tapping impatiently. She wasn't in hearing distance, and Cameron was relieved she wouldn't have to hear her two cents. Riley hates the fact Cameron has spent her life evolving around Sarah Connor.

Cameron was twelve years old when she first caught sight of Sarah Connor on the front page of her father's newspaper. Her attention had been drawn to it when her dad muttered something under his breath and turned the page a little too harshly, crinkling the paper in the process, but Cameron was still able to read about Sarah Connor being the youngest CEO to ever exist after taking over her father's company at the age of twenty two. She had been the top student in her engineering and business management classes, and her leadership had Cybernetic Systems already popularly known products skyrocketing within a year of working there.

Sarah's accomplishments had set Cameron's future in motion, paving her a road towards working under the infamous Connor. She started paying attention in school, mainly focusing on her maths and science; she entered her high school's science fair every year with a mechanical device she created, winning first place every year. Her junior year she started discussing scholarships with her counselor, and soon enough her hard work paid off. Her ACT scores and GPA earned her a free ride into CalTech, the California Institute of Technology. The same college Sarah attended after private school.

She had been so elated to be attending her dream college, but tragedy struck her home a week before her first day at CalTech. Her parents were splitting up; her mom moved out to Los Angeles and wanted her daughter to come with her and forget about CalTech, and her dad stayed at the house, telling Cameron to stay with him and attend CalTech. Even if her dad was the smarter choice, Cameron didn't want to break her mother's heart. She chose to not live with either one of them, resulting in John coming up with the idea of getting an apartment. His aunt paid off the first couple of months of rent till they could get jobs of their own.

It was only a couple of months ago when school started up again, meaning it's Cameron, Morris and John's final year attending CalTech, and they all decided it was time to send their applications out to every known company. Riley ended up signing on with a company that deals in video game producing while John signed with Morris on a group project CyberDyne is holding after they were denied by Cybernetic Systems, leaving Cameron to be the only one in the group to have not signed her life away.

Riley was concerned she would lose her chance at a successful future if she continued to wait for a company that hasn't shown their interested in her, and she suggested Cameron to at least set up an appointment with one of the other companies that have voiced their interest in her, but Cameron refused to listen to her friend, believing she would be accepted by her dream job.

A couple of days ago she received an email addressed from Cybernetic Systems, and she had to call for John to read it to her. Her hands been shaking so bad in fear of being denied by Sarah, though John reassured her that Sarah wanted to meet her and discuss a possible future with her company. Cameron nearly fell out of her desk chair from the shock she had been in.

She wasn't the only student from CalTech Sarah was showing interest in though. Andy Goode, Cameron's competition at CalTech, had received the same email as her, and he spent the entire day bragging about how he was going to have lunch with Sarah Connor. Cameron fears he'll be the one Sarah chooses to sign on to her team, for his AI program was way better than hers ever could be. He beats her in chess every year, no matter how much she modifies her program.

"Hmm," John nodded, pulling his hand back, clenching it before setting it at his side. He frowned and slowly started walking to Cameron's truck; his hand came back up and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I'd feel like the world has been righted and I can now breathe."

Cameron followed beside him, her eyes momentarily growing wide by his words. She twirled her keys around her finger to buy her a minute to think. "Wow, John, I didn't know you had a poetic side." She lamely responded, diffusing the moment.

"It happens to a guy after being forced to watch Grey's Anatomy by two dangerous females." He chuckled softly, watching as Cameron unlocked her door and slid in. He walked around the truck and took a seat on the other side, closing the door gently. He turned to Cameron, who turned the key in the ignition just as Riley closed the passenger door behind her. "Drop Riley off first, I don't have class until ten today."

"Okay, I'll leave my truck in your hands once I get to Cybernetic Systems. Just don't be late picking me up."

John nodded. "I won't, unless Riley's lecturer drones on and on about the zombie apocalypse."

"The man has an amazing imagination." Riley called from her place in the back. Her hand was buried deep in her bag, looking for the thesis she had to write in one night on the evolution of the century. She could've swore she threw it in her bag. "Cameron, didn't I place my thesis in here?" She couldn't afford to run back to the apartment and retrieve it if it wasn't here.

"It's in your purple binder."

John relaxed against the seat. Cameron was like the mother hen in their oddball friendship, always making sure their homework was in their bags before they dashed out the door, never lets them slack off in a class they despise, and she was the reason no one has been murdered in their tiny apartment, for their personalities can clash pretty horrifyingly. John closed his eyes for a while and then opened them as he remembered something. "Don't you have an exam in computer science today?" He asked, brows furrowed in confusion at Cameron. "You know Professor Barnes won't allow you to make it up."

"He has to." Cameron remarked with a smirk adorning her lips, her hands set on the steering wheel. She faced forward as she drove the truck out of the parking lot. "Sarah had sent an email to him regarding my absence, and you don't tell Sarah Connor she can go fuck herself, like he usually does to people."

John chuckled, his shoulders slumping as he relaxed once more. "Guess it's just me and Morris in Lane's class then."

"Isn't that the lady who thinks you're very yummy and wants to jump you?" Riley asked, earning her a glare from John and full out laughter from Cameron as she turned onto the highway. "Just asking," she muttered, her purple binder now resting on her thighs as she looked inside its contents for her thesis.

Rolling his eyes, John's lips pressed into a thin line. "Cameron, you can't leave me alone with her!" He whined, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance, a sliver of worry creeping into his features.

"You have Morris." Cameron reached over with one hand and patted John's shoulder a couple of times. She moved her hand back when John glared at her, looking at her as if she was born on Planet Stupid for even thinking Morris was going to be any help.

John was silent for a long time. Cameron watched from the corner of her the way he looked down at his lap before turning back to her. "You better get the internship, or I swear I'll have you deported to Mexico." He remarked seriously. "You go it?" He turned his head to look out the window.

Cameron smiled and turned to the right on the exit heading to Riley's campus. "I'm just glad I don't have to drive all the way out to Los Angeles." She eased onto the brake once the car in front of her slowed down. It seemed to be heading the same way she was, for Riley's community college was the only other building on this side of town, other than the best Mexican restaurant to ever exist.

"I'm surprised Sarah is even in Pasadena." Riley popped her head between the two front seats, her elbows resting on the sides of the seats. "Is she holding some kind of conference?" She asked in a bore tone. Truthfully, she could care less about the infamous Connor, but you can't escape her when your friends follow the woman's every move.

"She's one of the judges for the science convention CalTech is having this weekend." John murmured, pulling his phone out of his pocket, checking the time to see if Riley was going to be late for her first class. "We've been talking about it all week."

Cameron rolled her eyes as she came to a stop in front of Riley's campus. "Yeah, it's going to be one hell of a weekend." She watched her friend stick her tongue out while she jumped out of the truck. She had five minutes to run across campus and make it to class.

"She's so totally going to be late."

It was the last thing John said for the remainder of the trip, and Cameron preferred it that way so she can focus on how she was going to earn her spot on Sarah's Cyber Team, a team consisting of ten of the best AI programmers, computer scientists, engineers. You name it, she has it.

And it's a job most students attending CalTech want.

* * *

John practically jumped out of his seat after Cameron parked her truck in one of the empty spaces in Cybernetic Systems, one of the many stationed around the country, huge parking lot. "You have ten minutes, freak out while you still can." He joked, closing his door a little too harshly to get his friend's attention on him and away from the building holding her future within its massive structure. It earned him the desired response. Cameron glared at him as she slid out of her seat, keeping the door open for John.

John moved over to her side of the truck, his eyes running down Cameron's figure. Where he was dressed in a Tokio Hotel shirt, ripped blue jeans and white converse; his hair gelled to slightly spike, she was a peach coloured floral shirt with a black blazer over it, white pants that might as well have been a second skin on her with how tight they were and black heels, making her several inches taller than John; her hair styled into a low bun with several pieces curling at the edges of her face.

Noting the once over, Cameron smoothed out the creases on her pants and sighed. "I can't talk you into doing this for me?" She let her keys dangle on the end of her finger as she held them up for John. Her inner self was feeling guilty for wishing another set of green eyes will look at her the same way his were.

Taking her keys, John closed Cameron's open door, which had Cameron shooting him a quizzical look. "I don't think I can walk in heels." He said, slipping the keys into his front pocket. "But I can walk you to the door. I've got time." He held his arm out for Cameron to take, a gesture he's done since they went to their junior prom together.

"Thanks," Cameron smiled, her arm resting around John's comfortably as they made their way to the front of the building. She didn't want to admit that a small fear was building inside her at the thought of meeting Sarah for the first time, and John's warmth wasn't easing the nervous energy in her stomach, not like it usually does when she needs the comfort.

She made her mind forget about Cybernetic Systems and the impending doom the interview could turn into and focused on how she came to know John. She met him their freshman year of high school; he was talking to the counselors about switching him out of advanced algebra and into Calculus, for he was already a math genius and no longer wanted the basics. They couldn't allow it, and he nearly dropped out of school until Cameron proposed he earn his credits by taking an actual college class. The school allowed it as long as his math class was in the afternoon. He could've graduated his junior year, but stayed to spend time with Cameron, Riley and Morris.

Cameron and Morris had a similar issue with their science classes, but they chose not to branch out to college courses. They couldn't afford to pay for the classes, unlike John. Like Cameron said, his aunt is loaded with cash. To get through the lack of interest in science, John would ask Cameron and Morris questions their biology teacher couldn't answer, which turned them into a group of three. They called themselves the Triforce, a Legend of Zelda insider.

Cameron didn't doubt that she's a freak when it comes to social interaction, but everyone still wanted to be her friend because of how pretty she was. She would end up being pulled away from the two people she cared about most and dragged to some event she wouldn't understand about, missing out on Star War marathons. And one day Riley was there to put a stop to it. She had the bimbo squad running for the hills when she started to discuss the decaying process of a body with Cameron. Long story short, Cameron's group loved her for who she is. She can only hope her lack in social skills don't screw this interview up.

John stopped at the entrance, a smile etching across his face. "Well, here's your stop." He announced, forcing Cameron out of her thoughts as he slid his arm out of Cameron's and pulled the door open, motioning for her to enter with his free hand.

"Remember not to scratch my truck." Cameron said, but her eyes showed her thanks as she met his gaze. She took the three steps she needed to enter the building. She caught sight of a woman sitting behind a long, oval desk with a phone in her hand. She smiled softly to Cameron before focusing on the person on the other line. Cameron returned the smile and turned to face John, who was still holding the door open.

"Sarah will love you." John reassured, his back leaning against the opened door. People in suits eyed him strangely as they moved into the doorway and headed off into different directions in the building. John ignored them, keeping his gaze on Cameron as she smiled and turned to face the woman at the oval desk. He watched her sign in and be led off to the elevator shaft. It was only when he could no longer see her that John left the building.

He let the door close behind him as he slid his hands into his jeans pockets and made his way to the truck. Cameron's keys were cold when they brushed his fingers, but they were quickly warming from his body heat when he pulled them out, holding them in a tight grip. His other hand stayed in his pocket, and he looked out of place amongst the sea of suits passing him, possibly thinking they're better than him because they work for Sarah Connor.

John smiled once he reached the black F-150 Cameron considers her baby. She has a strict rule system when it comes to being in possession of her vehicle, and John tried to stifle the laugh he could feel tickling the back of his throat when he thought back on the day he first asked Cameron if he could borrow her truck for the day. It had taken him thirty minutes just to get the keys out of her hands, even after that he had to listen to the thousand upon thousands of rules. He learned to never ask Cameron for her vehicle ever again.

Before he got into the truck, John pulled his phone out and sent a text to Cameron first, then he sent a text to Riley and Morris. If there was one thing that could leave Cameron feeling a little lighter in a stressful situation, it's a good old fashioned Lord of The Rings quotations, and he chose the one they've been using since their first movie marathon as a group.

* * *

"If you'll wait here, Ms. Connor will be with you momentarily."

The woman led Cameron into a small waiting room where another woman was seated behind a smaller desk than the one she saw at the front office. The woman in this room had to be Sarah's assistant, and the other woman must be the receptionist. Cameron smiled her thanks and sat on the cream coloured couch, resting her hands on her thighs as she tried to still her racing heart. She was left alone with assistant, who seemed to be more interested in her nails than Cameron. Don't assistants ask you if you'd like a refreshment?

The refreshments thought had Cameron remembering a time when she had to play hostess for the opening of her mother's first museum of fine arts, handing out glasses of champagne on a silver platter to potential clients. Her mother was a famous painter, and no one has ever looked at her work just for the entertainment of it. Once your eyes land on it, you either buy it or hire her to paint you a desired painting.

Allison Phillips has tried for years to get Cameron to share her interest in art, but Cameron preferred her hands to be covered in grease from a long day of fixing up broken devices. Instead of at home learning how to play the piano, she was at John's house, spending her time with him in his mom's garage, learning how to make an engine purr. John's mom is a mechanic, and she sometimes wonders how she came to fall in love with John's dad, for the man had an intense hatred for anything mechanical, a quirk Cameron learned the hard way.

Biting her lower lip anxiously, Cameron twined her fingers in front of her nervously, a bad habit she developed from watching her mother do it when she sees the monthly bills. This was the interview that could ensure her the summer internship and a place on Sarah's Cyber Team. Or leave her jobless, for who would want to hire her if THE Sarah Connor didn't want her? The answer is no one, not even the poorly promoted AI companies. Probably even Best Buy wouldn't hire her.

Cameron couldn't afford to lose her chance at working beside Sarah, not when her future wasn't the only thing on the line. She aches to know the woman behind the business exterior, to learn if she is truly in love with Sarah or just the success she has made for herself. Even though she knows how Sarah came to be CEO, Cameron doesn't know what Sarah's childhood was like, if she has any children, a husband. Hell, she hopes the woman doesn't have a man in her life, or a woman. Definitely better not be a woman.

Sighing, Cameron pulled her phone out of her blazer's pocket and checked for any unread messages. Their were four in her inbox; she clicked on the first one, it was her mother telling her good luck on the interview and mentioning she was throwing a barbecue this weekend and wanted Cameron to come. She text back that she had to attend the science convention that weekend and couldn't make it, and guilt blossomed in her heart for declining her mother's every offer to spend time together. She couldn't explain why she's been doing it since her mother moved four years ago, but she puhed the thought away for now as she read the next three messages that had a smile curving her lips.

John: If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword.

Riley: And you have my bowe.

Morris: And *my* axe!

"She will see you now, Miss. Phillips."

Forced out of her thoughts by the assistant's voice, Cameron stood on wobbly legs. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as she nodded to the assistant and followed behind her towards the doors holding Sarah's office within them. Her nerves wanted her to run like hell in the opposite direction with her metaphorical tail between her legs, but her pride wouldn't let her be seen as a coward, forcing her to place one leg in front of the other.

Pride is a bitch sometimes.

The woman held one of the doors open, though Cameron saw from the corner of her eye as she walked by her that the young woman would rather be inspecting her nails, making Cameron believe this woman should really find another job if she can't handle holding doors and buying lunch for people. This must explain why Sarah doesn't spend a lot of time in Pasadena and prefers her office in Los Angeles.

Cameron walked into the office with as much dignity as she could, her dark eyes taking in the small room with interest. She figured it wouldn't seem like much when the CEO spends most of her time in L.A., but the room was gorgeous in its own way. The two walls on Cameron's right and left were filled with black and white photographs, leaving only small flecks of a gray wall to be seen; the wall directly in her line of sight was just one huge glass window, giving you a perfect view of Pasadena.

In front of the window was a mahogany desk, its wooden surface stacked with mounds of paper on top of it. A coffee cup was resting on the tallest stack, and Cameron's eyes took in the laptop on the other mountain of papers. The black, leather desk chair was vacant of the figure that should've been sitting there, instead Cameron found her standing on the other side of the room, her back facing Cameron as she looks down at the busy streets of Pasadena.

The sight of her took Cameron's breath away.

* * *

Whenever Sarah Connor is mentioned in the papers, or promoting her products, she is fitted in the most luxurious suits Cameron has ever seen, and her green eyes are cold and dangerous, demanding anyone in her presence to know she meant business. And the younger woman wasn't expecting to see this side of Sarah as the woman turned to face her, a smirk curling her lips in humour from Cameron's shocked features.

Sarah's shoulder length raven hair was pulled up into an unruly ponytail, a few strands had escaped and framed the sides of her face beautifully, and her suit had been replaced by a white tank top with a brown, leather jacket over it; her dark jeans might as well have been painted on her with how they distinguished her every curve, and her brown boots gave her the look of belonging in an action packed movie than in the office doing paperwork.

Cameron's mouth was moving before she could stop it. "Don't CEOs usually wear suits at the office?" She asked, her hand flying to cover her mouth once she realized she actually said it. A blush spread over her cheeks, and she had to look away from the eyes boring into hers. Her eyes landed on a picture she thought earlier was a photo, but closer inspection showed it was a painting of the beach.

Sarah's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. Her first instinct was to laugh at the irony in the question, though that wasn't really what made it funny. Cameron Phillips was here to possibly be the one she hands the summer internship contract over to, and she chooses to ask a question that could have her kicked out of Sarah's office without even having a chance to tell her why she should choose her. Luckily, Sarah wasn't that kind of person, regardless of what the tabloids say. She quite liked when people had the guts to say what they're thinking, but not to the point where she thinks they're undermining her authority. Now that would get them kicked out of her office for sure.

"Sure, they do, but my father thought you should only wear suits when you want to impress someone." Sarah voiced, her English accent still holding its twange even after living in the states the last sixteen years, as she slowly made her back to her desk, eyeing the papers in disdain. She loved working at Cybernetic Systems, but the paperwork was really starting to wear her out. Did she really have to sign for everything that goes on in her company? "And, last time I checked, I'm not the one who needs to impress someone."

Cameron blinked and felt reality set itself back in place as she looked back at the CEO with a nervous smile on her face. First sight of Sarah in person left words spilling from her lips, now the accent had a lump forming in her throat, leaving her utterly speechless.

Her pride was starting to agree with her nerves about running in the other direction. Far, far away from the woman that was making her look like a fool by simply being in the same room as her. Yes, Cameron lacked social skills, but she never fucked up her last two interviews as bad as she was with this one. She could practically feel her heart ready to burst from her chest with how hard it was beating. A heart attack; she was going to have a heart attack. Smooth, Phillips. Very smooth. Impress her by dying at her feet, at least you'll look cute doing it.

While Cameron was suffering from a mental panic attack, Sarah removed her jacket and set it over the back of her chair before seating herself, mentally reminding herself not to laugh at the poor girl gaping at her. She kept a small smile on her face to show Cameron she hadn't been offended by the question, but she only seemed to grow more panicky when Sarah met her gaze.

"I was in your shoes once, Cameron." Sarah said, deciding if she started the interview off with discussing her then Cameron would feel more comfortable around her. "Except I had it worse." She gestured with her right hand for Cameron to have a seat in the chair across from her desk, and Sarah had to push one stack of papers away to be able to see the girl once she sits down.

Relief flooded through Cameron as she took the offered seat in the plush, white chair. "How was it worse for you?" She asked, her fingers twined to rest on her lap. Her eyes kept glancing to the painting of the beach on Sarah's wall, curiosity gnawing at her to know who painted it.

"Because my father was the man I had to impress, and he didn't care that I was his daughter, that I graduated at the top of my class at CalTech." Sarah smiled as she remembered her father's stern eyes demanding her to prove she was worth calling herself CEO of Cybernetic Systems.

"He wanted to know you could run the company." Cameron meant for it to come out as a question, but it slipped out as a statement. She wasn't surprised Sarah's father would want to know that bit of information than what Sarah's accomplishments were. Anyone can graduate at the top of their class, and he already knew the kind of person Sarah was; didn't need to dish out all the dirty secrets from her. He needed proof that his company would be in good hands.

Nodding her head, Sarah leaned further back in her chair. "He nearly castrated me when I cracked under the pressure. I just couldn't take his 'boss voice' seriously when he's wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sandals." She chuckled, watching as Cameron finally seemed to ease off her panicked state.

"Your dad is a billionaire, and he chose to wear sandals?" Cameron arched an eyebrow as the image of John Michael Connor in sandals flashed through her mind. She could almost believe it. He did mention at a conference once that he disliked how shoes made his toes feel trapped.

"Who painted that, if I may ask?" Cameron asked as she pointed to the beach painting, her curiosity getting the best of her. She really needed to get a lock for her mouth, one that'll only allow her to speak if the words evolve around the current subject.

Green eyes followed the direction her finger was pointing at, a smile etching across Sarah's face at the enigma that was Cameron Phillips. Her eyes landed on the painting of the El Matador Beach's landscape, the black and white art capturing a moment Sarah could never forget, though it had been painted several years after that fateful day.

"My nephew did." Sarah murmured.

Feeling like she was prying into something that wasn't her business, Cameron quickly shifted the topic back to why she's here. "So, I take it, from what you've told me about your dad, that you don't care about my grades in school?"

Lifting herself out of her chair, Sarah walked around her desk and over to the other chair on the left of Cameron, a folder was in her right hand with the letters C.O. written across it. "Exactly, girlie." She eased herself into the chair and held the folder out for Cameron to take. "I've had to fire five of the best engineers my company has to offer, because they couldn't give me what I wanted."

Because she's a hormonal twenty two year old, Cameron couldn't tear her eyes away from the sway of Sarah's hips when she walked by her; it was as if she was trying to kill her without even trying. She took the folder to get her mind off the image of Sarah's ass and onto the papers inside the folder, but she didn't catch the part about the engineers. She really needed to learn some self control before she gets arrested for groping Sarah Connor.

Cameron flipped through the pages, her eyes taking in the half finished designs of what appeared to be a mechanical body structure. Most of the work seemed to have been declared non functional for long term purposes, only small measures like waving or walking two steps for the finished arms and legs. The lower waist of the mechanical exoskeleton didn't seem to have been the problem for the previous engineers, but the upper half of it left them puzzled.

"I need you to build me a completely functional prototype of that design." Sarah said, her chin lifting slightly to indicate what she was referring to, after Cameron finished reading and looked back up at her.

Closing the folder and resting it on her lap, Cameron ran her fingers over the letters on its cover. "And if I can't?" She asked, though she already knew what Sarah was going to say.

"I think you already know the answer to that, girlie."

"Didn't hurt to hope it wasn't what I'm thinking." Cameron muttered, a smile forming on her face as she regarded the older woman. If she can pull this prototype off and earn herself a job here, she was going to have a hard time keeping her eyes off the woman, especially when she was smirking, like she is now; giving Cameron a look like she knows Cameron's dirty little secret.

Oh shit.

Clearing her throat, Cameron motioned with her hand over to the paperwork, completely tearing her gaze away from the temptation. "You plan on seeing the surface of your desk anytime soon?" Her voice sounded like she had smoked a pack of cigarettes in one go, sounding too husky for her liking.

"Nah, I'll leave it for the next CEO."

* * *

John pulled into Cybernetic Systems parking lot twenty minutes after receiving Cameron's text, ordering him to pick her up. He was curious to know if Cameron got the job, but he left it out of the text, hoping to speak to her in person about it in case she didn't get the contract. Instead of parking somewhere, John pulled right up to the entrance where Cameron was standing with a folder in her right hand.

Putting the transmission into park, John shouldered his door open and slid out for Cameron to reclaim her truck. "Well, did she stop you at the threshold with her hand held out, yelling 'you shall not pass!'?" He asked, holding the door open for Cameron.

"Please, she has more class than that." Cameron joked, punching John lightly on the shoulder as she slid into her seat, placing the folder in the wedge between her and John's seats. She waited for him to close her door and claim his spot in the passenger seat, seatbelt strapped in, before she placed the transmission into drive and stepped on the accelerator.

She turned right once they exited the parking lot, her foot pressing down on the accelerator to meet the speed limit. "Where's Riley?" She asked, finally noticing her missing friend. The time on her truck's clock read 1:30, and Riley's class should've ended thirty minutes ago, assuming her lecturer wasn't on the topic of zombies.

John reached his hand over to the radio, fiddling around for a station that wasn't playing rap music. "She went with Morris to see some movie. How did it go with Sarah?" He let his gaze shift over to her, noticing the goofy smile on her face.

"She's going to be the death of me, John."

To Be Continued.


End file.
